This invention relates generally to the art of shipment, and more particularly to a shipping pallet for use in the handling of wound bobbins of textile fiber.
Many articles are shipped in commerce which must be grouped and appropriately stabilized for shipment. This grouping and stabilization usually involves the use of a support or container which, itself, represents a significant investment when a large number of articles are shipped. Due to such investment, it is preferred that the means for shipment be reusable and returnable in a form which involves minimization of weight and volume.
One such group of articles which is shipped significant distances and which is subject to the above limitation are wound bobbins of textile fiber. Normally, many thousands of such wound bobbins are shipped at one time to be utilized in weaving and other processes.
Various prior art devices have been utilized for shipment of a plurality of bobbins having fibers wound thereon. One such device is described in U.S. Pat. No. 2,610,735 wherein an article locator having a central flange is trapped between two pieces of paperboard or corrugated material, with the locator protruding from either side of the paperboard in order to centrally locate a yarn bobbin thereon. The yarn bobbin is thus located by the locator, but rests upon the paperboard.
Another such device is described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,042,108 wherein a unitary plastic structure is utilized as a shipping pallet and comprises a plurality of bullet-shaped protuberances which are arranged so as to provide for minimum space consumption upon return shipment. Another unitary plastic device for use as a shipping pallet is described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,335,858 to Sibille.
Another shipping device is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,804,234 to Gordon wherein yarn bobbins are essentially boxed within a support structure formed from corrugated cardboard. Another corrugated cardboard device is described in U.S. Pat. No. 1,808,651 to Gibb et al.
Another improved shipping pallet is described in co-pending application Ser. No. 382,151 filed May 26, 1982 of a common inventorship herewith.
While all the above prior art devices provide means for shipment from the point of manufacture to the point of use, none of said shipping pallets have incorporated therein any means for accommodation once the pallets have arrived at the point of use.